A SIX year old girl was reunited with her mother last night, three years after she was abducted by her “cynical and cruel” father and taken to Pakistan.

Former charity worker Gemma Wilkinson, 32, held her daughter Atiya for the first time since she was snatched by ex-partner Razwan Ali Anjum on her third birthday in November 2009.

Anjum, 28, is serving a prison sentence for refusing to reveal his daughter’s whereabouts despite a court order. He allegedly “kidnapped” Atiya after Ms Wilkinson ended their relationship.

A friend said: “Gemma’s beside herself with joy. It’s a late Christmas present she could only dream about. But it is going to be a very difficult and emotional situation.

“Her English will be very limited because she was only three when she was taken out of the country so it means mum and daughter will have to get to know each other.”

Earlier this week, Atiya was traced by Pakistani authorities to a remote village in the Punjab where she was believed to have been living with members of Anjum’s family.

Gemma’s beside herself with joy. It’s a late Christmas present she could only dream about

A friend

Officials arranged for her to be flown 3,700 miles from Islamabad to Manchester airport, where last night she had an emotional reunion with her mother.

She disappeared after she was collected from her home in Ashton-under-Lyne, in Greater Manchester, by her father during an arranged access visit in 2009. But instead of taking her on a trip to Southport, as promised, he flew with her to Pakistan. Shortly afterwards Anjum telephoned Ms Wilkinson from Lahore to say: “You will never see your daughter again.” Despite a global police investigation nothing was heard of Atiya for three years.

Anjum, who has a son from a previous relationship, was arrested when he returned to the UK alone a fortnight after he took Atiya to Pakistan. A judge said it was the most “cynical and cruel” form of abduction he had dealt with in his 30 year career.

Anjum is serving a fourth consecutive jail term for contempt of court after refusing to reveal Atiya’s whereabouts. He allegedly dismissed Ms Wilkinson as “only a birth mother”.